The proposed sale of dilapidated Nyamagana stadium in Mwanza continues to raise public anger, with residents now planning to stage protests against city authorities' decision.

The Mwanza city council plans to sell the neglected stadium, regarded by many as a historical site on which many people were killed during the colonial era, to a private investor to build an up-market tourist hotel.

City director Wilson Kabwe said the municipality intended to dispose the stadium to a private investor at $20 million (Sh24 billion). But the residents here have vowed not to allow the sale, also opposed by former Lands, Housing and Settlement minister John Pombe Magufuli. "We have organised a demonstration to be staged tomorrow at 3pm from the stadium to the regional commissioner Dr James Msekela's office. I call for all Mwanza residents to come and rally against this decision by authorities.

Monday, 21 April 2008

The East African Standard, Nairobi, KenyaBy Cyrus OmbatiThree stolen vehicles have been recovered

One of the vehicles, a four-wheel drive car stolen in Eldoret last week, had fake foreign registration numbers, T574 ACF.

Officials from Track It company said the car was found in Mwanza on Wednesday. It is suspected to have been driven through the Isebania/Sirare border on a rough unmarked road. Track It Managing Director, Mr Shehzad Tejani, said the car had been hired to two clients.

Uganda has abandoned efforts to recover a cargo ship that sank in Lake Victoria three years ago. The mv Kabalega sank after colliding with mv Kaawa, also a cargo ship, about 60 nautical miles south of Port Bell in 2005.

According to the State Minister for Works and Transport, John Byabagambi, the sunken ship has no more “economic meaning” to justify its being salvaged.

The $8 million ship owned by Uganda Railways Corporation was carrying 840 tonnes of wheat from Mwanza in northern Tanzania to Port Bell when it rammed into mv Kaawa.

Friday, 18 April 2008

Mwanza's CCM Kirumba Stadium is to host the Stars-Uganda first leg match of the African Nations Cup qualifier for domestic-based players on May 3.

The match was earlier scheduled to be held at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam but the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has shifted the venue as confirmed by the soccer body's secretary general, Fredrick Mwakalebela.

Mwakalebela attributed the move is meant to award Lake Zone soccer fans an opportunity to share the pride of the national team.

Tuesday, 15 April 2008

In an effort to fight against vitamin and mineral deficiency among children in Tanzania, a US-based organization, Global Action, will provide 2 million packets of nutrients to vulnerable children in the East African nation. Michelle Lyden, Global Action chief executive officer told journalists recently in Dar es Salaam that her organization is set to assist in the fight against malnutrition, a major factor for illnesses and deaths of children and women in the country.

"We are going to offer two million packets of nutrients to orphans, school children, and other vulnerable children to regions of the country we have chosen in this initial stage of our programme," she said.

The selected regions are Ruvuma, Mwanza, Manyara, Kilimanjaro and Arusha.

I've always been an adventurous traveller. I've travelled widely, for both work and pleasure - Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and even Antarctica. In 2006, a friend told me about a project in Tanzania working in an orphanage funded by a Christian charity known as the Bethany Project.

I wanted to make a difference and liked the idea of making use of my building skills to do that. During the two-week trip, with a group of volunteers, I helped to build 12 bunk beds and refurbish one of the classrooms and a toilet block. You have to pay for your own flight and contribute towards your food and living costs. I used £800 of my savings to fund the trip. I can be quite tight-fisted, but I didn't mind a bit because I knew my money was going directly to support the charity.

MANUFACTURERS have started relocating to Kenya and Tanzania due to the high costs of doing business in Uganda, the acting executive director of the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), Dr. Bruno Emwanu, has said.

“Two big steel companies have reduced production in Uganda and moved to Tanzania and Kenya. Some companies now use Uganda just as a warehouse,” Emwanu said.

“For example, Bata relocated to Kenya and uses Uganda as a warehouse,” he added.

“In the region, Uganda’s tax competitiveness is being lost to partner states and is leading to diversion of existing and intended foreign direct investments. The Government must change the tax policy in this year’s Budget to reduce the tax burden,” Emwanu suggested.

Toto Africa's striker Hamis Msafiri sprints with the ball as Simba's midfielder Musas Hassan makes the chase during yesterday's Mainland premiership league match played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Simba won 3-0.

Holders Simba SC yesterday handed visiting Toto Africa from Mwanza a comprehensive 3-0 thrashing in a mainland soccer league match played at the national Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Saturday, 12 April 2008

Ports have for years played a pivotal role in Tanzania`s social and economic development. In this article, Our Correspondent argues that things can continue improving if certain conditions are fulfilled.There has been a deluge of conflicting reports in recent years about the efficiency or otherwise of Tanzania`s transport and communication sector, with most directed at air, marine and road travel, telecommunications.

In sum, the preponderant view appeared to be that the situation was bad and the major culprit was the fact that a large proportion of the activities where the assessment of competence or effectiveness was being made were in the hands of the government or government-run agencies.

Saturday, 5 April 2008

People lined up for a Dar es Salaam - Mwanza Tanzania Railways Limited train trip for Tuesday this week yesterday marched to the company`s head offices in Dar es Salaam demanding alternative transport.

The development was a new turn to a labour dispute that saw the firm`s workers stage an indefinite strike on Thursday after their management defaulted on a minimum pay rise promise.

The would-be passengers blocked the entrance to the office of deputy executive director Dhanarjay Naik, calling on him to find them alternative transport to the Lake Victoria port city instead of refunding them their fare. The latter is the management's preference.